Marleau, Sharks try to remain hot vs. Avs

(Sports Network) - The San Jose Sharks look to keep a pair of winning streaks
going Saturday afternoon as they continue their homestand against the Colorado
Avalanche.

The Sharks have opened the season with three straight victories, besting
Calgary and Edmonton on the road before notching a 5-3 home victory over the
Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday.

Patrick Marleau continued his red-hot start, getting a third-period comeback
started with a goal midway through the frame before notching the go-ahead
tally with 1:53 to play in regulation.

The forward also had an assist and has logged three two-goal games to begin
the season.

"He's seeing the net really good and you've got to ride him when he's this
hot," San Jose captain Joe Thornton said of Marleau.

Thornton capped the scoring with a empty-net goal and had three assists as the
Sharks rebounded from a 3-1 deficit with 7:28 to play.

"We definitely didn't want it to go to 3-1, but we battled back, competed and
ended up winning," said Thornton. "It wasn't a good first half to the third
period, but we finished strong."

Joe Pavelski also had three assists and Antti Niemi made 32 saves for the
Sharks, who won the opener of a six-game homestand and are off to their best
start since going 4-0 to begin the 2008-09 campaign.

San Jose will try to keep its season-opening winning streak going in this game
and defeat Colorado at home for a ninth straight time. The Sharks haven't lost
at home in this series since Feb. 6, 2008.

They are 8-0-3 in the last 11 encounters with the Avalanche overall and 14-2-3
in the past 19.

Colorado, though, has picked up a pair of home wins after beginning the season
with a loss at Minnesota. The Avs were last in action on Thursday, when they
recorded a 4-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Semyon Varlamov made 33 saves in his ninth career shutout, while Matt Duchene
scored his first two goals of the season and added an assist, setting up a
P.A. Parenteau goal just 51 seconds into the game.

John Mitchell scored in the third period after having left the game earlier
when he was hit in the face by a puck.

"I knew I was okay when I could see out of both my eyes," Mitchell said. "It
was great to come back after getting stitched up. The goal was a bonus."